The Falcoholic
As satisfying as it was for the city of Atlanta to see the Falcons use a first-round pick on a Georgia Bulldog, there was some trepidation about using a premium pick on a player who isn’t a prototypical edge rusher. It’s no secret that the defense has been severely lacking in the pass-rushing department for nearly a decade. Everyone had become accustomed to the team ranking at the bottom of all pass-rushing categories. Jeff Ulbrich was adamant that those days had to end for the defense to excel.
Drafting Jalon Walker was a true statement of intent, despite the prolific defensive star being undersized for an edge rusher and a starter for only one season at Georgia. Taking a multidimensional defender who can thrive in a variety of ways creates exciting possibilities for a defense that needs talent across all three levels. What left analysts and fans wondering is: where is his best long-term fit? For all the fun Micah Parsons comparisons, placing immediate expectations on him to become a Hall of Fame-level talent is illogical.
It was going to take time for the 2024 first-team All-American to find his niche. Battling hamstring and groin injuries during training camp stunted his early development. Another groin injury sidelined him for two games, affecting his progress after being one of the key players behind Atlanta’s stunning defensive performance over Buffalo in a jaw-dropping victory. Patience is always going to be required for rookies, especially when they don’t traditionally line up in one area. The coaching staff’s persistence in bringing him along slowly is beginning to pay off.
Considering Walker missed a large portion of training camp, it was understandable why the coaching staff used him primarily as an edge rusher early on. Once he started finding comfort after three games, his versatility had to be unleashed. According to Pro Football Focus, Walker has dropped into coverage on 16 of his 47 snaps on passes over his last three games. His ability to play in space with strong eye awareness and discipline allows Ulbrich to be more expansive with his hybrid defense.
While the Patriots did capitalize on Walker being isolated against DeMario Douglas on a wheel route for a touchdown, that play represents more of New England attacking a simulated pressure with the right play design and personnel. Walker isn’t expected to cover shifty wide receivers emerging from the backfield. He can cover space as a hook defender, filling in voids in zone or spot dropper to create confusion for quarterbacks going through their progressions as a linebacker or defensive back blitzes to generate pressure. That greatly affected Josh Allen, who struggled to connect with his pass catchers in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
For everything he offers schematically to help Ulbrich be more creative, his development as a pass rusher is the biggest priority. Walker is still a work in progress from a technical standpoint. That said, how he uses...
